They departed from Spain on March 22, accompanied by teacher Herminio Rodríguez Pozo, the driving force behind this project, to visit the Kennedy Space Center—located in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and one of NASA’s main bases, as it hosts mission launches—on those dates. Their trip also took place במסגרת the Lunar School Constitution initiative proposed by the school community itself.
Upon their arrival in the United States, they were welcomed by the Consul General of Spain in Miami, Belén Alfaro Hernández, as well as representatives from Air Europa and the Network of Private Schools in the United States.
Together with three teachers and a family member, the students visited the Kennedy Space Center facilities in person just days before the scheduled launch of the Artemis II mission. This mission will send four astronauts—among them a woman and a person of color—to orbit the Moon as a step toward humanity’s return to its surface and as a precursor to future plans to reach Mars.
According to teacher Herminio Rodríguez Pozo, the experience was simply “impressive,” including a distant view of the colossal rocket that will carry the crew toward lunar orbit, approximately 384,000 kilometers from Earth. To give an idea of its scale, the rocket stands about 98 meters tall—roughly the same height as Seville’s Giralda, including its Giraldillo.
They also had the opportunity to spend time with Spanish NASA engineer Carlos García-Galán, who holds significant responsibilities within the Artemis program and has shown his support for this trip on several occasions.
“We are deeply moved by everything we experienced during this journey, which culminated in the breathtaking sight of the rocket. It will undoubtedly remain an unforgettable memory for all of us. Hopefully, more experiences like this will continue to be created in educational centers, fostering the value of dreaming big and the perseverance needed to turn those dreams into reality,” said Herminio Rodríguez Pozo.
He also expressed special thanks for the support received for the project, highlighting the institutional backing of NASA, the Consulate of Spain in Miami, the Spanish central government, the Regional Government of Andalusia, and the City Council of Alcalá del Río, along with sponsorship from the airline Air Europa, the U.S. Academic Schools Network, Kaura Coproducts, Astromares, Integrasys, Montajes Ramiro, the agricultural cooperative of Alcalá del Río, the theater company Añoranza por Volver, GMV, Wifiguay Jeyca, and the Provincial Council of Seville.
Source: ABC Sevilla
